Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 30, 2023

726 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction report →

light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $215.50/cwt +5.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,032/hd at 943 lb · 24 head
light 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $316.00/cwt ≈ $957/hd at 303 lb · 23 head
light 3-weight M&L 1 steers $345.00/cwt -5.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,059/hd at 307 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 726 1,860 1,790
Feeder cattle 305 788 458
Slaughter cattle 323 787 927
Replacement cattle 98 285 405

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and overall not as attractive as last weeks sale. Demand and offerings were light to moderate. All feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold steady fully steady in a narrow comparison. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white, sold fully steady. Thin short term feeding cows sold steady in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272 unweaned 272 9 352.50 $352.50 $959 —
307 unweaned 307 20 345.00 $345.00 $1,059 -5.00
465–483 unweaned 475 7 292.50–301.00 $296.06 $1,406 -11.91
510 unweaned 510 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,428 -0.15
597 unweaned 597 17 246.00 $246.00 $1,469 -17.57
610–621 unweaned 619 10 242.00–245.00 $242.59 $1,502 +5.42
677 unweaned 677 7 236.00 $236.00 $1,598 +3.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435–443 unweaned 440 3 300.00–312.50 $308.38 $1,357 -1.04
470–495 unweaned 474 6 280.00–285.00 $284.13 $1,347 +13.05
543 unweaned 543 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,303 -20.00
590 unweaned 590 11 229.00 $229.00 $1,351 -15.13
640 unweaned 640 3 232.50 $232.50 $1,488 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565 unweaned 565 1 236.00 $236.00 $1,333 —
615–623 unweaned 619 4 228.00–240.00 $233.96 $1,448 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
306 unweaned 306 4 277.50 $277.50 $849 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
303 unweaned 303 23 316.00 $316.00 $957 —
503 unweaned 503 13 252.00 $252.00 $1,268 +5.23
610–622 unweaned 616 6 225.00–230.00 $227.52 $1,402 -2.04
743 unweaned 743 3 217.00 $217.00 $1,612 —
893–894 894 11 213.00–214.50 $214.23 $1,915 -0.32
943 943 24 215.50 $215.50 $2,032 +5.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
232 unweaned 232 9 305.00 $305.00 $708 —
415 415 4 255.00 $255.00 $1,058 —
500–510 unweaned 506 5 236.00–241.00 $239.02 $1,209 —
580 unweaned 580 1 230.50 $230.50 $1,337 +14.50
715 715 11 222.00 $222.00 $1,587 +7.00
800–815 805 3 203.00–218.00 $212.94 $1,714 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
601–604 603 18 192.00 $192.00 $1,158 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
210 unweaned 210 1 210.00 $210.00 $441 —
535 535 2 224.00 $224.00 $1,198 —
698 unweaned 698 2 202.00 $202.00 $1,410 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 unweaned 385 2 237.50 $237.50 $914 —
515 unweaned 515 2 222.50 $222.50 $1,146 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
828 828 3 212.00 $212.00 $1,755 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 unweaned 540 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,242 —
723 unweaned 723 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,446 —
890 890 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,602 —
1123 1123 2 155.00 $155.00 $1,741 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1475 1375 80-85% 4 87.00–93.00 $89.66 $1,233 +5.84
1300–1510 1392 80-85% 10 84.00–92.50 $85.87 $1,195 +2.05
1250–1550 1403 80-85% 22 91.00–94.50 $93.44 $1,311 +11.71
1245–1610 1418 80-85% 10 77.00–88.00 $84.20 $1,194 -20.80
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–990 968 85-90% 2 72.00–73.00 $72.51 $702 —
1130 1130 85-90% 1 59.00 $59.00 $667 —
1145–1150 1148 85-90% 3 80.00–82.00 $80.66 $926 —
1065–1300 1162 85-90% 6 79.00–84.00 $82.08 $954 +13.28
1060–1263 1166 85-90% 11 85.00–88.50 $85.39 $996 +16.59
1168 1168 85-90% 2 92.50 $92.50 $1,080 +23.70
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505–1535 1520 75-80% 2 97.00–100.00 $98.51 $1,497 —
1700–1830 1744 75-80% 9 87.50–100.50 $93.82 $1,636 —
1970 1970 75-80% 1 107.00 $107.00 $2,108 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215 1215 1 82.00 $82.00 $996 —
1310 1310 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,244 —
1440–2100 1842 10 89.00–106.00 $102.99 $1,897 +2.52
2245 2245 1 115.00 $115.00 $2,582 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
905–1065 992 (<2 yrs)Open 4 142.00–162.00 $149.33 $1,481
858–1340 1079 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 19 89.50–143.00 $120.48 $1,300
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
745 745 (<2 yrs)Open 2 110.00 $110.00 $820
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1200 1200 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,116

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1263 1263 Aged (>8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 3 1,285.00 $1,285.00
1323 1323 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,400.00 $1,400.00
1356 1356 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 11 1,400.00 $1,400.00
1389 1389 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 6 1,435.00 $1,435.00

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.